Major spoilers for Marvel Studios’ Eternals lie ahead.
Following years of anticipation, Blade is finally set to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Of course, this iteration of the Daywalker is set to be played by Oscar winner Mahershala Ali, which has plenty of fans excited. Despite this, many still hold a special place for Wesley Snipes’ iteration of the comic book hero. As a result, the superhero-loving public is always curious to get his thoughts on the reboot and its lead. So far, Snipes has been nothing but classy about the upcoming movie, and he recently continued this trend with a sweet post.
Having played the vampire hunter in a film trilogy, Wesley Snipes truly defined the character for a generation. And while many are excited to see what the Moonlight star will bring to the table, there are others who believe he’s going to have a hard time topping Snipes. The 59-year-old actor himself feels optimistic about his successor’s chances, though. He said as much in a recent Twitter post, in which he retweeted a fan’s comment. Check it out for yourself down below:
He will do great 🙏🏿 https://t.co/11PeFroKUYNovember 11, 2021
The Hollywood legend has spoken, and I’m definitely tempted to agree with him. Those who’ve seen Mahershala Ali in action know that he’s one of the finest actors working today. He has the commanding presence needed to play a character like Blade as well as the cool demeanor that’s been associated with the hero. What’s most impressive about Ali is that he’s an actor who knows how to use his eyes, which is essential, as the half-vampire really knows how to stare down his enemies.
As mentioned, this isn’t the first time Wesley Snipes has shared positive thoughts about the project. Snipes was originally asked about the Marvel Studios casting back in the fall of 2019, during which he gave a diplomatic answer that praised the legacy of the character. He later commended the studio for the job it’s doing on the film. Still, based on some of his other reactions, the actor still takes great pride in being the first person to play the titular character.
Mahershala Ali and Marvel Studios, for their part, have also shown respect to the man that started it all. Ali actually mentioned that he has a somewhat funny “connection” to his predecessor, as his people apparently used to tell him that he looked like the White Men Can’t Jump star. Bassam Tariq, who is helming the upcoming reboot, has also spoken about the original franchise’s impact on his big-screen take.
As of right now, the Daywalker’s solo MCU film is still in the early stages of production. In addition to landing its star and director, it also has a screenwriter in Watchmen alum Stacy Osei-Kuffour. Though the project has the tools to succeed, there’s naturally still some anxiousness on Mahershala Ali’s part. The star recently made his debut through a vocal cameo during the post-credits scene of Eternals, which he says was a daunting experience. Still, he’s excited about actually playing the character on screen in the near future.
Hopefully, this new take on Blade will be well worth the wait and, as mentioned, there are plenty of reasons to be confident. It’ll be interesting to hear Wesley Snipes’ thoughts on it and, who knows, maybe he’ll get that cameo fans have been clamoring for.
1998’s original Blade film is currently available to stream on HBO Max, in case you’d like to check out Wesley Snipes’ performance.
